Candlemas
7th February, 2010
A Feast By Any Other Name…
A casual visitor to church on this festival might be forgiven for wondering what it’s actually called. Over the years the striking story in St Luke’s Gospel of his parents’ bringing Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem has gone by various names through Christian history. The choice of name depends in good measure on which of the many aspects and themes of the event you choose to highlight. So we know the festival as the ‘feast of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’, or ‘Candlemas’ for the custom of blessing of candles and a procession with them (which we do today), ‘the meeting’, and the ‘presentation of Christ in the Temple’. That last title is the preferred one since it underscores the main action of the story itself.
Our service begins in the South Aisle where we will hear the Scriptures and where members of Quest will dramatically present the Gospel. (Thanks to members of Quest!) We will bless candles and then process into the main body of the church for the remainder of the service.
Our ‘Creed’ today will be the short form of question and response (a very ancient form of creed-saying) taken from the Baptism service. It connects with our Welcome of Baptism families who bring their children into the Lord’s Temple today, a beautiful echo of our festival’s theme.
Newcomers Lunch
Recent newcomers to our congregation will have lunch in the Church Centre to meet, eat, and hear more about life at St Helen’s.
Lent is coming
Please consider joining one of the Lent courses being mounted in Abingdon. National broadcaster and writer David Winter, the speaker at the Church-in-Abingdon’s Lent Course, is bound to be great.
The Revd Dr Charles Miller, Team Rector
7th February, 2010
A Feast By Any Other Name…
A casual visitor to church on this festival might be forgiven for wondering what it’s actually called. Over the years the striking story in St Luke’s Gospel of his parents’ bringing Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem has gone by various names through Christian history. The choice of name depends in good measure on which of the many aspects and themes of the event you choose to highlight. So we know the festival as the ‘feast of the purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary’, or ‘Candlemas’ for the custom of blessing of candles and a procession with them (which we do today), ‘the meeting’, and the ‘presentation of Christ in the Temple’. That last title is the preferred one since it underscores the main action of the story itself.
Our service begins in the South Aisle where we will hear the Scriptures and where members of Quest will dramatically present the Gospel. (Thanks to members of Quest!) We will bless candles and then process into the main body of the church for the remainder of the service.
Our ‘Creed’ today will be the short form of question and response (a very ancient form of creed-saying) taken from the Baptism service. It connects with our Welcome of Baptism families who bring their children into the Lord’s Temple today, a beautiful echo of our festival’s theme.
Newcomers Lunch
Recent newcomers to our congregation will have lunch in the Church Centre to meet, eat, and hear more about life at St Helen’s.
Lent is coming
Please consider joining one of the Lent courses being mounted in Abingdon. National broadcaster and writer David Winter, the speaker at the Church-in-Abingdon’s Lent Course, is bound to be great.
The Revd Dr Charles Miller, Team Rector